Emily's Pov"Your time is up, Dominic; even if you kill me, it won't change the fact that you either surrender to them or you won't be getting out of here," Adam said, laughing like a maniac."I should have killed you when I had the chance!" Dominic responded, his hand gripping the gun even further. He turned his attention to me. "I cannot stay here, we will have to leave this place at once." "And where can you run to? Let me quickly put you on notice; these men already scanned the entire perimeter of your hideout; there are no tricks up your sleeves that they won't be able to see." He turned to me. "Are you going to tell him the truth or should I?" "What truth?" Dominic asked, turning in my direction. "What is he talking about?" My eyes dropped down, thinking of a way out of this situation but there was none. "The day the security intelligence invaded the mansion and took Maria away, I...." My heart was heavy, and tears dropped down my cheeks."Well, she was the one that contacte
Emily POV"You have done a great job, Emily; you should be proud of yourself for bringing that criminal to book." Mr. Foster, head of the CIA mentioned. My thoughts were on the betrayals and what Dominic could think of me. "Emily Knowles?" I looked up and realized he was attempting to send me a wrapped present. I absentmindedly took the gift away from him and he tapped my shoulders before leaving the office. Adam had woken up from his unconscious state and was wrapped in bandages. I heard his shoes click on the floor as he stepped forward to me. "And since when did you start developing feelings for a criminal?" He asked."He was nobler than you will ever be, Adam," I responded, giving him a stern look. "Oh please, cut the bullshit Emily! We both know that Dominic deserves what is coming to him. He is a Mafia lord, and the East Coast is no place for people like him.""What of people like you? Do you think I have forgotten what you did? how did you hire Maximus to kill him?" I aske
Emily POV"I am here to see Dominic Moreno." I raised my badge to one of the officers on duty, but he stood his ground, not willing to leave. "Listen, I understand that you have been instructed by Adam not to allow me to see him, but I have something for you." I reached out to my purse and pulled out a couple of notes. "A hundred grand, get him out of the cell because of the cameras and bring him to the investigation room." I waved the bundle before the officer, who grabbed it."I need the money anyways.." he said with a smile before turning towards the main cell.I made my way out of the cell holding facilities with anxiety, not knowing how Dominic was most likely to react.By the time I got to the investigative room, I began to pace around, thinking of how to approach him and what exactly to say.Some minutes later, there was a knock on the door and the officer pushed Dominic inside. He was in handcuffs."Remove the handcuffs," I ordered."That will be your death signed and sealed
Dominic's POV After Emily left my room, I caught myself smiling. Smiling! “Che diavolo!” I muttered under my breath in Italian. “Get it together, man!”I ran a hand through my hair, pacing back and forth. She was driving me insane, and I didn’t know how to stop it. Everything she said was true. Every word. I couldn’t even pretend to deny it anymore. I tried to tell myself I was in control. But I wasn’t.The reality remains that I should have just left her that day in prison, my present moment would not exist, and maybe I would have secured more shipments to the East Coast. After I abducted her, I could barely eat, barely make conversation. My mother, Barry, and even Anita because of her and I hate to admit that I had noticed something was wrong with me.Every time I saw Emily, the control I prided myself on slipped. My carefully built walls cracked whenever she was near, and it was frustrating.I didn’t want to feel this way about her, but it was like she had found a way into my
Dominic's POV “She’s becoming a problem, Boss,” he finally said. “A problem?” I echoed. "Yes. A distraction. For you. For everyone. She’s causing more trouble than she’s worth.” “She’s not a distraction,” I said evenly, though my voice had a dangerous edge to it.“She is, Dominic, and you know it. Ever since she came into your life, you haven’t been yourself. You’re not focused, not thinking clearly, and now you also end up in jail because of her."“Watch your words, Barry,” I warned.“I’m just telling you the truth,” he shot back, his voice steady. “You’ve gone soft because of her. The others are starting to notice. She’s a weakness. And in our world, weaknesses should be cut off.” “What are you trying to say, Barry?" I asked on the phone. “I’m saying you need to deal with her. Give her a harsher punishment. Or eliminate her. That is what we do to rats and she is one."The word hung in the air like poison.“Eliminate?” I repeated, my voice low and dangerous.Barry didn’t back d
Emily's povThe moon shines through the entire East Coast, and as I sit on the balcony of my apartment, I can see the activities of this beautiful place. At some point, my mind was bugged with the reality of what I had done and the threats from Barry. It is so ironic that despite how I had betrayed him, he still informed his men never to come for me. In my life, I had struck a deal with him and I will make sure that he is out of there sooner than expected.Suddenly the sound of plates crashing on the floor filled my ears and broke me away from my thoughts. I stopped the gentle music playing and curiosity hit me. What could have possibly caused that to happen? I wondered as I walked through the hallway and finally arrived at the kitchen. There was no one on sight and it made the whole scenario look even more suspicious. I reached out to my pocket to grab my phone, when it was snatched away from me."What the hell...." I expressed, as the intruder also shoved me to the ground. "Who
Emily's Pov Barry had left my apartment even though it was hard to convince him that I was going to help Dominic gain his freedom back. I lay down on my bed that night thinking of what would have happened to me if Barry had not come to my rescue and it was all thanks to Dominic that I was still breathing. I needed to come up with a plan to help Dominic as quickly as possible because I wouldn't want to be labelled as a liar again. I miss Anita so much, and I couldn’t help but wonder how she would be feeling right now as she had been separated from her father again. In as much as I was doing my job as an agent, Dominic had been nothing but sweet to me. I couldn't hold down my feelings towards him anymore. I needed to keep to my promise this time. I stood up from my bed as I couldn't fall asleep with all these thoughts in my mind, plus the fear of having another intruder in my apartment. I walked to the kitchen which was still in a mess, and I opened the fridge. “shit!” The fri
Emily's PovMy eyes widened as Adams spread out some documents across the glass table in his office. The whole world stops spinning as I stare at the documents Adam had slid out."These are evidence proving Dominic is linked to various shell companies, "Adam explained, his voice firm and low. “In these documents, you will find out all about trails of money laundry and influences which lead to the death of your father.I shifted my gaze from Adam to the papers, my eyes narrowed. This can't be true, it's just another plot Adam has come up with to get me to turn on Dominic. "What do you think you’re doing? You know what, whatever it is you are selling, I am not buying any of it," I said with my voice firm but filled with a hint of desperation. "Look Emily, I know you think you know him well enough and that you love him, but you don't know the real Dominic. He is nothing but a manipulating bastard who will do anything to get what he wants". "This can't be true,'' I said in disbelief.
EMILY’S POV I woke up feeling very groggy and sour from the night before. I reached out instinctively, my hand brushing against the side of his bed that was still warm. He wasn't in bed with me. I sat up straight, wincing at the dull ache between my legs. My mind went back to last night. It had been very intense and wonderful. Dominic moved in and out of me with animalistic strengths. He had an injured shoulder, but even that had not been able to stop him. Then he pulled me into his arms afterwards and whispered sweet words into my ears till I fell asleep. I ran my fingers through my hair, which was in a tangled mess. I wrapped the sheets tight around my body and walked to the window. It was a beautiful morning. The sun was shining, the sky was clear, the birds chirping in the trees. I couldn't help but feel a moment of happiness. But that feeling didn't last long when I remembered that danger was lurking in the shadows. Steven Crowley. A chill ran down my spine at the thoug
DOMINIC'S POV His Jaws were clenched as I spoke. I could see the obvious irritation on his face, but he was trying his best to conceal it. “Yes, sir.” “You've been my right-hand man for over ten years, and I am impressed with your work, and I've never had any reason to question your loyalty to me,” I told him. His features softened, and he looked happy with my approval, I could tell by the way his body relaxed. “Thank you, sir. It is a pleasure to work with you.” “I will be stepping away from my position for some time once this is over. I'm not getting any younger, and I need to work on building my family and producing an heir.” He turned to look at me like I'd slapped him across the face. “But things don't work that way, Dominic. Who will be in charge once you leave?” “You,” I said simply, and he looked like he was taken aback by this. “What?” He asked, his voice shaking. I've known Barry for a long time and it often took a lot to surprise him. He'd been through har
DOMINIC'S POVThe next morning, I peeled my eyes open slowly, and it was shining into the room. Emily was still asleep beside me, looking gorgeous and peaceful with the sheets wrapped around her naked form. I got out of bed, careful not to wake her up. I picked up my phone and sent a text blast to Victor, Barry, and Ezra. “Meet me in the basement, now.” I pulled on a tee shirt and a pair of black sweatpants, which took longer than usual because of my shoulders, which still hurt excessively. Emily was right, and I needed to get the wound treated by a professional. I'll have Victor call his doctor to take a look at the injury. I could not afford any distractions during this period when the threat from Damien seemed to be growing. When I got to the basement, all three of them were already there. Barry and Victor looked up and alert as usual, but Victor looked exhausted even though he'd spent the whole of the previous day resting. “Dominic, what was so urgent that you had to take me
DOMINIC'S POVEmily’s words kept playing over and over again in my head long after she said them. Dominic Moreno doesn't lose. I wish I had eleven of them with the same strong conviction as she did. I stared at the screen, at the man with calculating eyes staring back at me. Steven Crowley. The name did not ring a bell, although I had many enemies that I didn't even know about. So many people hated me. But the pattern of his involvement with Damien was what caught my interest. Originally, I thought that Damien had just been assembling thugs, but that wasn't the case anymore. He was building a strong army, and even I could not deny that he had very good alliances. It was obvious that that Crowley man was the brain behind what happened yesterday. Emily’s hands were still on my shoulders, kneading them softly to take the tension away. Her gentle fingers were very comforting. I looked up at her. Her hair was in a messy bun on top of her head, and her eyes were tired from sleep, but they
EMILY’S POVThe next morning, I could barely stand to look at myself in the mirror. My eyes were swollen from lack of sleep. My eye bags were probably the worst ones a person could have. My heart was also still very heavy with everything that had happened. Dominic was still asleep as I slipped out of bed. I had to be very careful so I would not wake him up. He definitely needed the rest. He looked more relaxed as a result of the painkillers he had taken, which had dulled the pain from his industry. I pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, and then I made my way to Victor's study. The house was very quiet. Ezra and Barry had gone out to train the men, and Victor was still resting. That gave me the type of peace I needed to work. It had been a long time since I'd put my braid to good use, and I was excited. I sat in on Dominic's heavily secured computer. Just as he'd given access to his encrypted network right before he went to bed yesterday. Although I knew he did so with reluctance, i
DOMINIC'S POVThe pain in my shoulder kept me awake long after everybody had slept. Emily had insisted on staying by my side, but I knew that she was tired, and I made her lie down. The only time Emily genuinely looked to be at peace was when she was asleep. Whenever she was awake, I could see the worry in her eyes. I knew that she was having a hard time, and I felt bad because I put her in this situation, but I was going to make it right. Victor had gone to sleep immediately. His injury was not as deep as mine, but he was in pain nonetheless. Victor never complained, no matter how bad things got. I stared at the ceiling as I went over everything that happened in my mind. We had gone in just as planned. We had been fast and efficient, and we launched our attacks with precision. Everything was going well until ten minutes later when Damien's men began to attack. They were prepared—too prepared. That wasn't as a result of luck. They had been very strategic. And Damien was after me.
EMILY’S POV The car doors opened, and the men came out of the car one by one. Fear gripped my chest frantically as my eyes landed on Dominic, who was leaning against Barry with blood soaking through his white shirt. I immediately left the room and rushed downstairs to meet them. When I finally got to where they were, I noticed that Dominic's teeth were clenched in pain. “Dominic…” I breathed, walking towards him and looking him over. “I'm fine.” He muttered stubbornly through gritted teeth. “Your shirt is soaked in blood. You are not fine,” I said, placing his hand over my shoulders. “Let's go inside so I can take a look at it.” Victor appeared out of the car, clutching his side in pain and limping. He wasn't wearing a shirt, and I noticed that a nasty bruise was already beginning to form at his side, just above his ribs. Even though he was in obvious pain, he managed to give me a weak smile. “Don't worry, Em. We made it alive, just some minor injuries.” He said with a shrug, a
DOMINIC'S POV The following day was filled with activities and trying to get ready for the attack at night. The estate was filled with tension with the men checking and loading the weapons into the vehicles. We had mapped out escape routes in case things didn't go as planned. I always made sure I had three plans. We only wanted to attack and leave. Emily kept her word and remained indoors the whole time without interfering which was hard for her because I knew how much she loved the action. There was a certain level of safety I felt having her here, but I still had to be careful. Anita and Daniella were safe, but I had to keep an eye on Emily. By nine in the night, everything was ready. My men were in position and the weapons were loaded. The attack was not supposed to last for anything more than an hour if we did it correctly. “Everything is set. We've scouted out Damien's location, and they look like it's just a normal day for them; they have no idea that an attack is on the way
DOMINIC'S POV“You shouldn't be here, it's not safe,” I told her. My voice was low and tense. She walked into the room slowly. Barry and Ezra walked out and closed the door quietly behind them. “I know, but I was worried about you. I hate being so far away, I want to be by your side through it all.” She told me sincerely,“I told you I can handle it. I don't want you here, I want you to go back home where you can be safe.” I told her, but I wasn't even sure if I meant it. The logical part of me wanted her back home, but the part that missed her and needed her wanted her here. “I'm not leaving, Dominic. I'm staying till this is over.” She stated strongly. I could see the look of determination on her face. “How did you even get here? That was a risk.” “I asked Victor for help. He made sure everything was in the clear for me to travel.” She explained, moving closer to me. Unable to help myself anymore, I pulled her into my arms. “So Victor was in on it?” I whispered. “Yes.”I was